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The status quo is for DUMMIES!

Date:
7/15/2009 12:12:37 AM

"The science is there and it must be made known. We cannot let the status quo go unchallenged and watch our loved ones suffer unnecessarily. It is time to stand up, clear the air and take control of our health." (The China Study)

So where has the status quo gotten us? Anyway you look at it, America's health is failing. We spend far more on health care than any other country in the world, yet 2/3 of us are overweight, and over 18 million American's have diabetes. Our number one killer, heart disease is as prevalent today as it was 30 years ago, and the "war on cancer" has gotten us no where. And my number one issue is where we are leading our children. Our children are getting disease earlier and earlier in their lives...why is that? Why are one third of our children overweight? What are we doing wrong?

As T. Colin Campbell would say..."These issues all come down to three things: BREAKFAST, LUNCH and DINNER."

I believe too many of us follow the status quo of nutrition. Whether our beliefs come from our mothers, or our mother's mother, or our public school system or even worse- the media.

"How did we get to a place where the companies that profit from our sickness are the ones telling us how to be healthy; where the companies that profit from our food choices are the ones telling us what to eat; How did we get to a place where Americans are so confused about what is healthy that they no longer care?" (The China Study)

I hope you can see that when it comes down to it- I am pretty passionate about HEALTH and how our nation's idea about HEALTH is killing us (and that I really like T. Colin Campbell's book- The China Study).

I started my journey the day I had my first child. I didn't want to put anything in her mouth that would do her harm. I remember reading the book "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron and falling in love with the idea of making my own baby food using whole foods. After nursing exclusively for more than 6 months, I loved slowly feeding my little girl organic baby food made from my kitchen. More importantly knowing the vegetables, fruits and whole grains she was eating was exactly what her body needed. My little girl ate it all and loved it, from avocados to millet to steamed broccoli and brown rice. I don't believe an ounce of refined sugar went into her mouth until her cake on her first birthday...and she didn't even like the taste of it...if only that's how it was today :)

After becoming so intrigued with my child's nutrition I couldn't help but start researching nutrition for myself. I found the book "Fit for Life Not Fat for Life" by Harvey Diamond and I could not put it down. This was my first book describing why a WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED DIET is the key to Health. A diet that mainly consists of Vegetables, Fruits, Beans, Whole Grains, Nuts & Seeds and trying to eat them WHOLE as much as possible (unprocessed and no preservatives or additives). I started eating the way Harvey Diamond said to eat and I lost all my baby weight plus more in fewer than 8 weeks. I was thinner than I was in high school. I started running races and being pretty competitive. I can say that I was a new person- a totally different person than I was before I had my first child and a happier, healthier person.

I am now pregnant with my 3rd child (almost 5 years since I started my journey) and I am still reading and researching this way of eating. Have I eaten perfectly ever since I started...that's a big NO. It is definitely a process...I know some people can dive right in and make it work while others need to take baby steps. I have come a long way and happy where I am today...but I definitely want to keep going. This blog will be a motivator for me (especially during my pregnancy...when I want to be eating the best but for some reason it's takes far more effort than usual).

The science is there...and it cannot be denied. And it's actually not that hard to find if you want to find it. My absolutely favorite book is of course "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and another amazing author is Dr. Joel Fuhrman. His books include: "Eat to Live" and "Disease-Proof Your Child". They are must reads.

I am excited to share my journey with you. To share my thoughts, my accomplishments...and my "real world" obstacles that we all face. Hope you enjoy!

The Whole Food Mommies Community

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information and research that we share with you, we are not your doctor (even though
that would be kind of fun!). Please consult with your own physician before making
any changes to your diet or that of your families. Hopefully your doctor is just
as excited about a whole food plant-based lifestyle as we are and will encourage
you every step of the way!